“Yuin, think it over again. It’s not too late…”
Without listening any further, Yuin stood up. Was all this just to slander Gyeon?
Despite her efforts to remain composed, the turmoil inside was too intense to subside.
Why? Why are you doing this? Concern? Overprotection? Yuin couldn’t make sense of Ji Han’s behavior.
So it took her a moment to find her voice.
“Ji Han. I don’t know why you think that way about Gyeon.”
After a deep breath, she continued.
“You haven’t experienced it yourself. You haven’t seen it with your own eyes. Who Gyeon is… I might know better than you, right?”
“Yuin.”
“I hate it when people talk about things they don’t know. You know how much I’ve suffered because of that.”
Ji Han stood frozen, his face a picture of dejected shock, finally realizing his mistake. But the damage was done and irreversible.
Yuin, with a slight tremor in her hand, grabbed her bag and turned to leave, hesitatingly adding one last remark.
“Let’s stop for today. I’ll contact you later.”
Gyeon terminated the voice mailbox message after the third reminder.
Yuin wasn’t answering his calls. It had been long enough since her classes ended, and even the several messages he’d left hadn’t been checked.
Gyeon, feeling a faint anxiety creeping in, loosened his tightly knotted tie.
“What now?”
Irritated, he rubbed his eyes and leaned back deeply in his chair. Always hiding and keeping things to herself when something’s wrong – why can’t she change that?
Despite it being just a few hours without contact, he wondered why he was so curious and worried.
She must have gone home. Maybe she had dinner and dozed off, or perhaps she’s spending time with her parents.
Or could it be…
“…Is she with Yoon Ji Han?”
The very thought brought a sarcastic sneer, tinged with annoyance. Just the idea that his mood could sour from such a thought was an unfamiliar experience.
Wearing the mask of a friend, the guy beside her had presumptuously stepped in to interfere, which had initially angered Gyeon. But it was bearable.
Mostly because it was clear that Nam Yuin did not see him as a potential romantic interest, and also because Yuin, holding his hand and looking up at him with a murmur, was just too pretty.
So, he had temporarily tolerated the attempted sabotage of someone else’s unrequited love.
However, now Gyeon was beginning to regret holding back.
“……!”
The device in his hand vibrated. It was the call he had been waiting for.
With a low sigh, Gyeon brought the phone to his ear.
“Yuin.”
<—"Yes. Did you call?"
Her voice was unusually weak, raising Gyeon's suspicions. He quickly assessed the situation.
It seemed quiet around her, so she wasn't outside. She didn't sound like she was on the move, but clearly, she was in low spirits. That was it.
Why would Nam Yuin be feeling down? She was all smiles just this morning.
Ah. Gyeon swiftly realized the answer.
"Why didn't you answer my calls?"
<—"…"
"Huh? Yuin."
<—"Just… I was sleepy."
"You were sleepy, so you slept?"
<—"…"
She didn't respond to such a simple question.
Gyeon's conviction in his conclusion only grew stronger. This was the behavior Nam Yuin exhibited when she was avoiding him, or rather, when she disliked him.
Not that he disliked Yuin when she was grumpy, but her smiling face was much prettier and mesmerizing.
But right now, Nam Yuin was…
In the midst of his irritable breathing, Gyeon suddenly had a brilliant idea.
"Nam Yuin. Should I buy you tteokbokki?"
From the other end of the phone, Yuin, sounding thin and small, laughed.
"You said you wanted it."
<—"Not that."
"What then? Tell me, I'll buy anything."
<—"Ice cream."
All this fuss, and she just wanted ice cream. So modest, our Nam Yuin. Despite his grumbling thoughts, Gyeon finally managed to smile.
He checked his watch and then spoke.
"Come out in 30 minutes."
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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